


we can meet in the space between

by byddai



Category: K-pop, Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, Mistaken Identity, Misunderstandings, Online Friendship, Online Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-24
Updated: 2017-10-24
Packaged: 2019-01-22 10:59:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12480044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/byddai/pseuds/byddai
Summary: “I’m going to do it. I’m going to ask him for a picture.”(or, in other words, the one where Jooheon and Minhyuk have been talking online for more than a year, Jooheon makes a big mistake and all of them suffer the consequences)





	we can meet in the space between

**I.**

 

_You won’t read this until the afternoon,_

_but I’ll write it now nonetheless: have a super nice day!_

_Talk to you later_

 

Minhyuk smiles, and suddenly the fatigue of the day fades away and it’s silly, really, because it’s not the first time he receives a message like that, but it never fails to cheer him up. 

Everything started when a teacher made them create a blog for her class. All the essays, activities, reports and any kind of homework related to that class would end up as an entry, and at the end of the term, she would rate all the blog as one big project. It was cool, at first. Then it turned boring. In the end, the blog was just another source of concern because, even though the style was new and nice, it was still something you had to do in order to get a good grade. And then, the finals came and the term ended, and everyone forgot the blog.

It wasn’t until a year ago that Minhyuk remembered it.

Hoseok had chosen Music Therapy as an elective class and was looking for some music to go with his latest project, but he wasn’t having any luck. One afternoon, after a crying session and very needed break, Minhyuk told him he would help. He was pulling an all-nighter when he came across the most wonderful sound he had ever listened. It was soft, sweet and full of emotion. And it was perfect.

The blog was from someone called _HoneyJoo1_ (that, at first, sounded silly and childish) and although it seemed like it was another forgotten blog, Minhyuk had to try it. After a long period of trial and error trying to remember his old password, he sent HoneyJoo1 a comment on the latest post explaining the situation, crossing his fingers and praying for an answer.

Surprisingly, he got one a few minutes later. 

Not only was _HoneyJoo1_ sending him the song via private message, he was also giving him links to his other (and more updated) blogs and websites. He even had a YouTube channel where he would share some of his songs from time to time (only voice, never face). 

Minhyuk found him so endearing he couldn’t help but reply. And reply. And reply again. Not long after the first time, he was starting conversations too. 

A year later, here they are, friends and confidents but without knowing each other’s real names or faces.

Well, to be completely fair, _HoneyJoo1_ actually knew his name because Minhyuk was so happy one of his favourite idols had won a prize and ‘ _hey, did you know we share name_?’ It was silly, just a slip of tongue (fingers, since he was writing it, but whatever) but _HoneyJoo1_ got it pretty easily. That didn’t mean he would tell Minhyuk his real name, though. The kid was a stubborn one. 

(And oh, wasn’t Minhyuk in love with it.)

He sits on the sofa, computer carefully placed on the coffee table in front of him. He checks the time and sends a message back, knowing that _HoneyJoo1_ will answer in a few minutes because on Thursdays he has boring classes and he’s always looking for ways to entertain himself. While he waits for it, Minhyuk sips at the cup of detox juice Hoseok insists him to drink. It’s awful, with a strong taste of grass (which is worrying since the juice is orange) but Hoseok is a health freak and, if he’s totally honest with himself, this shit is helping his skin look better, just like red vinegar does. 

Just like predicted, _HoneyJoo1_ answers with a long text about how useless his class is and how he’s going to make his best friend do his homework for him because he’s the worst at math and said friend isn’t. Minhyuk smiles, all the worries and troubles from that day, from that week, flying away in an instant. 

Apart from the issue with the name and face, they know almost everything about each other. Family things, friend things, personal things. They can talk for hour and hours about everything and nothing because they understand each other, understand the necessity to have someone there, someone that gets you completely and doesn’t ever judge. 

They are more than friends (‘ _soulmates_ ’ had called them Hoseok once, always the romantic) and even if someday Minhyuk discovers that _HoneyJoo1_ isn’t the boy he’s supposed to be (Education student, 23, from Daegu, studying in Seoul and living in the flat of a friend’s boyfriend with the two of them, a wannabe rapper that gave up the trainee life after one too many disappointments but still uses music as a way to express himself) he will accept him anyway. 

“Talking to your boyfriend again?” 

Minhyuk looks up, pouting. Hoseok is leaning against the wall, track pants hanging low on his hips and sleeveless shirt practically glued to his body. It’s sinful, is what it is. 

“He’s not my boyfriend.” 

“Sure, sure.”

“He’s not! Like Kihyun, he’s not your boyfriend, right?” 

Hoseok blushes, looking away. “Not for lack of trying.”

Minhyuk rolls his eyes, pouting even more. “Yeah, yeah. If only that was true.” 

“Hey! I try, ok? It’s just that…” 

“He’s scary? Demonic? Evil? Would suck your soul if you confessed?”

Hoseok chuckles, shaking his head. “Something like that.”

The boy sits next to him, sipping from Minhyuk’s cup. His hair is still wet from the shower he must have taken after his daily gym session. Objectively, Hoseok looks more like a personal trainer than a social worker, but once you know him, you can clearly see that he’s going to be great helping people help themselves. He’s so kind, so sweet and open, people instantly trust him and believe in him. 

Maybe, thinks Minhyuk, that’s why Kihyun is so into him (even if Hoseok can’t see it). 

“You should ask him for his picture.” 

Mihyuk rolls his eyes. “Not again.” 

“If you could listen to me for once…” 

“I always listen to you!” Hoseok looks at him with an eyebrow raised. “Ok, maybe not always, but I listen.”

“Then listen now.”

Minhyuk shakes his head, eyes glued to the screen while answering another message. “We are ok like this. We are friends, it doesn’t matter how he looks.”

Hoseok sighs, falling against the back of the sofa. “It’s not that. I know neither of you care about that, but wouldn’t it be great to be able to talk face to face? See his reactions, his quirks, listen to his voice life instead of through the speakers of your computer?”

Minhyuk blushes, thinking about all of it. Of course he would like that. And of course he would like to have so much more. 

“Look, Minhyuk, your crush is cute but it’s going to be harder and harder to bear as time pass. It’s been, what, three years since you and Mark broke up? I think it’s time you talk with this guy for real.” 

“Why are you bringing him up?” Minhyuk pouts again. Maybe he should pout 24/7, as it seems it’s the only thing he does lately. “And even though we didn’t end well, Mark and I are friends.”

“See? That’s where I wanted to get! You tried with Mark and it didn’t work, but you are still friends. By the things he writes you, I don’t think _HoneyJoo1_ is going to stop talking to you if things don’t work. He seems nice.”

“You don’t know that.” 

“Look, just…” Hoseoks sighs again. Maybe it’s the day of repeating yourself. “You have something amazing going on and I get it, really, that feeling of being afraid of the consequences if things go south. I get it because it’s what I feel every time Kihyun smiles at me. And I know our relationship it’s different from yours, I know that I have the opportunity to tell him that I want something more, something real and stable, but in the end I never get the courage to do it. And it crushes me.” Hoseok looks at him, raw emotions and sincerity displaying on his pretty face. “I know you’re afraid, but if something goes wrong, even though I know it won’t, you have the advantage of not having to see him again.”

“Hyung…”

Hoseok pats his shoulder, a sad smile on his face, and gets up to leave Minhyuk alone.

Minhyuk looks at him go to the kitchen, and can’t help but imagine how hard it must be for someone as sensitive and emotional. He looks at the screen again, some more messages on it now, about homework, the shitty movie he saw last night, the annoying best friend’s boyfriend that falls asleep in _HoneyJoo1_ ’s bed instead of the best friend’s.

And while he reads, he understands what Hoseok was telling him. He wants to know those people, wants to know their names instead of having to read _‘best friend’_ and ‘ _best friend’s boyfriend’_ over and over again. He wants to see his face when he smiles, see if this kid closes his eyes or if he cries when he does it, if he snorts while laughing, if his laugh is high-pitched or a low, quiet thing. He wants to see his eyes, his hair, the form of his face, and how tall is he? Is he taller than Minhyuk even if he’s a year younger? Is he bulky like Hoseok or Hyunwoo? 

He doesn’t know how much time has passed, but when Hoseok sits next to him again, a glass of juice in his hand and some artful concoction in a cup, Minhyuk has made up his mind.

“I’m going to do it.”

Hoseok hands him the weird concoction, that, after a small sip, it results to be white hot chocolate with caramel and whipped cream, everything vanilla scented. “What?”

“I’m going to ask him for a picture.”

Hoseok’ smile is blinding, and Minhyuk feels himself mirroring it. He turns towards the screen, reading the few messages he didn’t notice while he was debating with himself.

 

_HoneyJoo1_

teacher lettin’ us go early

hell yeah

 

_HoneyJoo1_

have some new mixes to show u

wanna listen?

i could use some opinion that’s not bff&boyfriend

 

_HoneyJoo1_

u don’t have to, tho

if u don’t wanna I mean

 

_HoneyJoo1_

hyung

hyung really u don’t have to

 

_HoneyJoo1_

ok

i’m taking the train soooo

i’ll wait

no hurry

 

_HoneyJoo1_

sooooooo

i’m home and you still haven’t answered?

like, idk, it’s something wrong?

 

Minhyuk gathers all his courage and starts typing. He has to re-do the message a few times, but in the end, he settles in what worries him the most.

 

we r friends right?

 

_HoneyJoo1_

what?

yeah

i though we were

didn’t u?

 

no no, it’s not that

 

_HoneyJoo1_

then what’s wrong hyung

u know u can talk to me

i know u know it

 

it’s silly

 

_HoneyJoo1_

if it’s important to you it’s not silly

tell me

 

i wanna see u

like really

i know u feel weird about that but

please

i’m not gonna go away

i don’t know what u r so afraid of but

u don’t have to worry bout it

i promise

u know me

u really do

more than anyone

 

_HoneyJoo1_

u never cared before

why now?

 

i feel it’s time

u don’t have to

but I’d like to

and I have a nice one saved to send u too ofc

  

Minhyuk holds his breath, waiting. He can feel his heart beating frantically in his chest and he’s tempted to close the computer and run to the mountains and become a hermit without any internet connection. Hoseok grabs his hand and interlocks their fingers, and Minhyuk allows himself to breath a little.

The bubble on _HoneyJoo1_ ’s side alerts them of the incoming answer and Minhyuk crushes Hoseok’s hand in response.

 

_HoneyJoo1_

_ok_

 

Hoseok hoots loudly and Minhyuk feels his soul leave is body.

“Oh my god, you were right.”

“Of course I was! I’m your hyung, I know things!”

They wait for a few minutes before another message appears on the screen.

 

_HoneyJoo1_

_here it goes_

 

The image is sent in a flash, but it uploads slowly, the connection of their modem as useless as always. Hoseok has been trying to tinker with it for a while now, but the effort is futile. He might be great with computers and video game consoles, but their modem is older than the two of them, so it’s ridiculous to keep using it when Seoul is one of the most advanced cities in terms of technology. So yeah, if it’s to get the image of the boy he has a crush on, he’s going to make Hoseok spend money on it, even if he has to bribe him or something.

Hoseok gets bored easily enough and decides that it's time for a late-afternoon snack. They have some leftovers from the cheesecake Changsub brought them a couple of days ago (Sungjae’s birthday is just around the corner and, since their relationship is relatively new, Changsub wants to impress him, what makes them his guinea pigs to test his attempts. Hoseok is wary of the occidental food since it’s so far away from someone born and raised in Korea, but he stuffs his mouth with everything Chansub brings) so he announces he’s going to get one slice, which Minhyuk knows is a lie: he’s going to end up eating it directly with a spoon, like the savage he is.

He’s still alone in the living room when the image finally appears clearly on the screen. For a moment, Minhyuk can’t think about anything, as if someone had hit him on the head with a bat or something. His brain can’t register what his eyes are seeing: the handsome face, the bright eyes, high cheekbones and pouty lips. Bangs of soft-looking hair falling sweetly on his forehead, slightly curly locks of hair over his ears. He looks sleepy, as if the existence of the world was a burden, as if everyone around him was there to be ignored by him, an aura of confidence and sassiness surrounding him. The boy is gorgeous, and any other time Minhyuk would be clapping his own back for his decision to ask for the picture, but oh, boy. 

_Oh, boy._

He knows that guy. He’s seen pictures on Instagram, he’s seen him from afar a few times and he’s even seen his clothes _on Kihyun._

_Oh, fuck._

“Ho- Hoseok…” 

His voice is almost a whisper, broken and shaky. Hoseok doesn’t catch it, the same way he doesn’t catch the three more times he tries to say his name, but the moment he enters the room again, mouth open and ready to say something silly, he knows something is wrong. Minhyuk must be making an awful face because in a matter of seconds Hoseok’s chest is against his back, his arms stretched over Minhyuk’s shoulders to move the computer to take a better look at the screen.

The guy doesn’t appear as connected anymore, maybe worried because of the lack of response from Minhyuk or maybe because he’s embarrassed, but the image is still on full display, mocking the two of them.

Hoseok’s silence is even more terrifying than what Minhyuk would have imagined. 

“He’s…”

“Oh, shit.” Minhyuk can feel the hectic beat of Hoseok’s heart against his back, mimicking his own. “Oh, fuck.”

“Yeah.”

“He’s…”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, boy.”

_Oh, boy_ , indeed. Minhyuk massages the bridge of his nose. “This can’t be happening. Tell me this is a nightmare or something.” 

“Sorry, dude, but you’re going to die.”

Minhyuk moves by impulse, fast reflexes trained after years and years of dancing rehearsals where you should improvise if a movement went wrong. He stands up and grabs Hoseok’s shirt, thankful for the centimetre of difference between them even though the other boy is built like a freaking wall. Thankfully, the computer falls sideways on the sofa, because if Minhyuk has to worry about that too, he’s going to go bald because of the stress.

Hoseok looks between shocked and mocking, and Minhyuk would snap at him with a snarky comment if the situation was different, if he was the one doing the mocking, but right now he’s terrified. 

“You’re gonna shut your mouth and won’t tell Kihyun anything.”

His friend has the audacity to laugh. “You’re going to have to do it better, Minhyuk!”

“Fuck you.” Minhyuk lets him go, taking a step back. He runs his hands maniacally through his hair, longer than usual after a few hectic months of classes and his internship. Not enough time to cut or re-dye his hair, or other silly thing like going to buy new pants or to actually live instead of survive.

Hoseok stops laughing and pats his back, throwing him a look full of sympathy, the air between them changing to something more serious. “Minhyuk, really, Kihyun will know it sooner or later. As your best friend, which is something I’m still not sure if it’s an achievement or a nightmare, my advice is to tell him. The sooner you do it, the better.”

“He’s going to kill me. And I’m pretty sure you’re going to help him bury my dead body.”

“Probably.” Minhyuk punches him in the arm with actual force, and Hoseok has to fight the urge to groan in pain. “Dude, he’s hot when he’s mad!”

“If it wasn’t for the fact that my life is in danger and who knows if these are the last words I’ll be able to say before my imminent death, I’d worry about you and your weird taste in men. But can we focus on my problem again, please?”

Hoseok sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. “Look, he’s going to give you hell, but he’s not that bad. Yeah, Kihyun is overprotective and terrifying, but he’s always believed in him and his capacity to decide what he wants or doesn’t want. You’ll be fine as long as you don’t hurt him. 

“Oh god, I think I’m going to be sick.” 

Minhyuk lets himself fall on the sofa again, head between his hands and elbows on his knees. He’s the true image of despair, and Hoseok would laugh hysterically at his dramatic antics if it weren’t for the fact that he knows what it’s like to have a complicated crush.

“Hey.” Minhyuk looks at him, lost for once in his life. “It’s not that bad. You’ve been crushing on the guy you’ve been talking to for almost a year, that’s fine. Too bad the guy you want to bang against a wall is Kihyun’s best friend, more like a brother to him.”

The silence that falls between them is broken almost immediately by a low growl coming from the front door. Minhyuk sees his life past before his eyes even before his head is fully turned to the door, the feeling of imminent death so powerful that any sound seems to have stopped.

Because there, illuminated by the soft light coming from the hallway through the open door of the apartment is the most terrifying person he’ll ever meet.

Kihyun has a –frankly- frightening blank expression, his body frozen on the spot. His hands clench at the hem of his hoodie (the pink and blue monstrosity that Hoseok has got for almost five years but has been ‘missing’ for at least two months) and for a few terrifying seconds, no one dares to move.

Even under the pressure of his impending doom, Minhyuk can’t help but smirk a little, more as a defense mechanism than anything else. He raises his hands in the same way more than a thousand characters in movies and dramas have done to ask for forgiveness, and tries to pick the best words to say as his last ones.

“It’s not what it looks like.”

Well, no one ever said he was an original one.

 

**II.**

 

The same moment the picture is sent, Jooheon’s overly stressed brain catches on his awful error and he knows his life it’s over for good. His arm shoots over in an almost involuntary movement, closing his laptop with a hard _thud_.

Panic crashes into him in big waves, and for a few seconds the only thing he can think to do is close his eyes and bury his face in his hands, screaming into them until his voice becomes hoarse. He knows he doesn’t pay all the attention he should to the things that happen around him, he’s not the brightest of his friends (he’s usually the one pulling all-nighters with Changkyun every time they have an exam: Jooheon because he gets distracted easily with ideas for new songs, and Changkyun because he doesn’t really like what he’s studying and ignores everything until he can’t do it anymore) but this is a new low even for him.

How could he send Hyungwon’s picture instead his own?

No, no, it was an easy confusion. None of the pictures had a name on it, so yeah, it was an easy mistake.

Oh, but who is he kidding.

He’s a freaking human disaster; he should return to Daegu and sit under a tree to see life pass by.

“How am I going to talk to him now?” 

His own voice sounds unfamiliar to him, lifeless, void of any emotion but despair. A little voice inside him (one that sounds awfully like Gunhee’s) screams at him to stop being so dramatic and overthinking and to start analysing the situation, to take the matter into his own hands. If only that was so simple. Jooheon has always been an easy guy; thinking too much about everything just makes you grumpy and doesn’t really help you in the end. He’s an advocate of trying to solution to any problem with the most direct way possible, no overthinking and no shortcuts or lies: just honesty and communication. 

But right now, he can understand the way his friends look at him when he explains his way of thinking and acting, because of–fucking-course he can’t open the laptop again and tell the guy he’s got the biggest crush on that ‘ _oh, hey, the picture I just sent? That’s one of my best friends. Actually I’m shorter and my hair is dyed blonde. But I’d understand if you liked him better. I mean, he’s a model and looks like a prince, he’s witty and intelligent, the most interesting person I know. And I’m just a kid that doesn’t even know how to distinguish his face from his friend’s one in a picture’_.

It’s ridiculous; he’d think Jooheon is an idiot! He’d never talk to him again, or he could even end up blocking him. And Jooheon can take a lot, but not that, not from him.

“I’m so ashamed, oh my god, why is this happening to me?”

The sound of the key turning in the lock breaks the gloomy feeling in the room, and Jooheon’s brain starts working at a thousand revolutions per second. He’s got files and files of ideas from the dramas his mother used to watch stored in his brain, and the most logical option would be to skip all the drama and confess to Hyungwon so he can help him fix the misunderstanding. 

“Jooheon! Can you help me with the bags? Changkyun is fighting with the neighbour’s cat again.” 

The boy stands up and panics, not knowing what to do with the computer. When Hyungwon pops his head into the living room and looks at him, with his perfect face as beautiful as ever (even though sweat is rolling down his neck and his cheeks are as red as apples because of the effort of climbing all the stairs to their shared flat on the fourth floor), Jooheon raises the computer and looks at him with his mouth open. Hyungwon looks equally confused by the situation, tilting his head to the side. 

“What are you doing?”

“I… don’t know?”

Hyungwon raises an eyebrow, now more worried than surprised. “We left for an hour, what could have you done in that short period of time?”

Jooheon opens and closes his mouth a few times. The voice inside his head (Gunhee’s voice again) screams at him to tell the truth and accept the consequences like a real adult. “I have an assignment due for this afternoon.”

“That’s weird, you’re usually very diligent about that.”

“I… Jackson… Book.”

“…You lend Jackson your book?”

Jooheon nods like crazy, running away the moment Changkyun enters the flat with scratches over his cheek and Hyungwon’s attention focuses on him. 

Yes, Lee Jooheon is ridiculously honest, genuine to the core, obnoxious, a loud defender of his ideals and always fights with everything he has. But if years of being subjected to an older sister have taught him something, is that it’s always wise to know when to run.

 

**III.**

 

"Kihyun has a good right hook, I have to give him that."

Hoseok rolls his eyes, giving him a gentle punch on the shoulder. Or as gentle as it can be coming from someone that works out every day of the week. Even on Sundays. "Stop complaining, he didn’t even hit you that hard."

"Have you seen my beautiful face? And I have a bruise on my ass the size of Japan that certifies the beating I was subjected to. " 

Hoseok hits him again, smiling at the wince of his friend. "You're a jerk and an exaggerating little shit." He says while refocusing his attention on his plate.

Minhyuk grimaces, but doesn’t deny it.

It is true that Kihyun lunged at him with his nails on full display, like a terrifyingly small tiger full of rage –and, for a body of his size, it’s a lot. Luckily Hoseok was there and his reflexes have been tuned for years thanks to Taekwondo, so he was able to stop Kihyun in time (which hasn’t won him points with Yoo Kihyun, of course, so Hoseok will be mumbling and sulking for days until his boyfriend ( _special friend, relationship without labels, lovers?_ ) forgets about it or finds a way to make them suffer like never before).

Minhyuk got a slap and a small scratch on his cheek and then ended up taking several hits to various parts of his body because of misplaced furniture and silly falls. Minhyuk has always been incompetent in sports that aren’t archery so, when he got up to try to escape Kihyun’s fury, his feet got tangled, the raising panic made him misjudge distances, the furniture stood in his way... Excuses that don’t really excuse his lack of coordination. So, yeah, inanimate objects caused most of his war wounds.

The Cheshire’s cat smile that bloomed on Kihyun’s face when he saw him on the ground, though, was enough for him to know that his life was spared for the moment being.

"The band aids on your face make you look like a 90’s cartoon."

"And you know a lot about that, right? You dress like one." 

Hoseok throws him a spoonful of rice that he barely dodges, but he can’t dodge the kick that goes to his shin. Hyunwoo, next to him, raises his hand for a ceasefire and proceeds to take Minhyuk’s rice.

"Leaving aside his questionable decision in clothes and accessories, what he said about the band aids is true." Hyunwoo looks him up and down, chewing slowly, appraisingly. "And by what Kihyun told me, he barely touched you."

Minhyuk raises his hand to his cheek, meeting one of those band-aids with his nail. "Well, okay, it's more for show than anything else." Hoseok high fives Hyunwoo, happy to win against Minhyuk. "But it's part of a plan."

"Let's see, enlighten us." 

"If Kihyun sees me like this," he says slowly, pointing a finger at his face. He makes a dramatic pause, and Hoseok’s grimace is funnier than he expected, "he’ll think he doesn’t need to come for me anymore. _'Oh, poor Minhyuk, I hit him so hard he’s even got band-aids! I will go terrorize another innocent victim to spare him more damage to that beautiful face_ ', he’ll think, and like that I’d be able to live for another week. "

Hyunwoo looks at Hoseok raising an eyebrow, “how can you stand him?”

Hoseok shrugs, “I don’t know, I think I’m immune to his bullshit after all this time.”

“Dude, sometimes I think Hoseok exaggerates when he explains some things that happen in your flat, but I get it now.”

Minhyuk snaps his fingers before them, calling for their attention like the 5 years old he really is. “So, my plan?”

“It’s a shitty plan.”

“Yeah.” Hoseok slurps from his ramen cup, noisily. "Just think about the moment he talks to Kihyun and the guy tells him things that no one outside of both of you should know, and even less someone as overprotective and terrifying as Kihyun. Your life will be in danger again." A smirk appears on his face, eyes shinning devilishly. “And Kihyun talks to him every day, so I don’t think you have that much time.”

Minhyuk fights a shiver but rolls his eyes, sighing. "For the last time, it’s not like that between us. We talk about music, dancing, food and how our days have gone. It's like talking to one of you, just... different." 

_Better_ , he doesn’t say.

He knows he is putting _that_ face again, the one he puts every time he thinks or talks about _HoneyJoo1_. Minhyuk has always been the kind of guy that fought the world with a smile. How can you expect to have a good day if you don’t smile? If you don’t look forward for things, even the smallest ones? It’s tiring, and sometimes he just wants to give up and return all the shit he gets, be one of that awful people that make the world ugly, go with the flow instead of trying to swim against it. 

He’s got to fight against anxiety for years, and the façade he has built around him is based on that cheerfulness and the outgoing personality that people love and identify him with, but he’s human and he breaks easily, more than he would like to admit. Anxiety is always there, on the back of his mind, ready to attack again. His bad days are always awful and can lead to a week of nothing but silent tears in the dark and episodes of never-ending despair.

He’s better at controlling his emotions than Hoseok, who wears his heart on his sleeve, on full sight and ready to give it to the first person who smiles at him. It may look that Minhyuk is like that, too, but he’s more cautious. That’s why, when anxiety hits him hard, he keeps it inside until he can’t do it anymore and everything goes to hell. 

He was on one of those moments when he met _HoneyJoo1_. 

He was failing two of his classes and the project that would decide if he entered in a hospital as a nurse in practice or not had him on the verge of tears. Not only that, but things at home weren’t the best, Hoseok was having his own problems that had him crying every day and the electricity bill that month had left them in red numbers. Minhyuk was loosing against life but then, there he was: _HoneyJoo1_ , who had just met him, with his cheers, his silly jokes and endless paragraphs about how life was wonderful and how Minhyuk couldn’t give up.

Something hits his forehead. When he looks up, Hoseok is looking at him with his spoon lifted, the ultimate weapon for a kid like him. "Go for it." 

Hyunwoo growls, but rather than contradict him, he puts a hand on Minhyuk’s shoulder, nodding. "I don’t know if it's the best idea, but for once I'm with him."

"I don’t… What?" 

Hoseok sighs, taking his phone from his pocket and typing quickly on the screen. “Look, I’m only doing this because I love you and this guy makes you happy, so you better be thankful.”

Hoseok passes an arm behind Minhyuk’s neck, pulling him towards himself so the two of them can see the screen of the phone. There, in full display, is the boy’s face and lanky body, elegantly sitting in an ornate sofa and dressed with expensive designer clothes. Hoseok clicks to the side and another picture pops up, this one with the boy leaning against a brick wall with his beautiful face obscured by the biggest, more expensive sunglasses Minhyuk has ever seen. He takes a look at the price on the bottom of the picture and has to close his eyes for a moment because, damn, he’s not gonna win that much money in his entire life.

“This is Chae Hyungwon, who you must have seen in some pictures because he’s a professional model as well as Kihyun’s best friend. They met when they were like… five or something like that, and since then Kihyun has been his knight in shinning armour.”

“Why?”

“It’s obvious, isn’t it?” Hyunwoo nods at Hoseok, still engrossed in his meal. “The boy is spectacular, he’s had to deal with a lot. Catcalls, groping, partners that only wanted him to fuck a beautiful face…”

“That’s awful.”

“Yeah, and that’s why Kihyun has taken upon himself to protect him.” Hoseok smiles a little, that silly smile he always has when he thinks or talks about Kihyun. “He was super mad when Hyungwon decided to go to another university. According to him, Hyungwon said it was to give Kihyun freedom, so he could have a life outside their relationship.”

“How do you know that much?” Hyunwoo says, raising an eyebrow. Minhyuk nods at his question, too engrossed in the story to say anything. “I mean, I know things because we’re roommates and friends, but I didn’t know that. It seems too… personal.”

Hoseok laughs, delighted. “It was after a party, when we were starting to see each other. We were alone, a bit drunk… we were going to take things to another level when suddenly he started to talk about Hyungwon and about how, if Kihyun ever found him in a situation like that, he’d kill the fucker that was using his best friend.” Hoseok, then, turns towards Minhyuk. “By what he said, I conclude that Hyungwon likes boys.”

Minhyuk can feel happiness bubbling inside him and he shoots his friends a blinding smile. It’s great, really, having prove that _HoneyJoo1_ liked boys; it’s one step closer to him being able to reciprocate Minhyuk’s feelings.

Hoseok returns the smile, clicking on another picture. “Even though he’s working as a model, he’s also getting a degree in Tourism, something to do with his family’s business, I’m not sure. The website of the university says that this afternoon there will be a small festival to raise some money for different causes and he’s going to be there.”

“What are you trying to say?”

Hoseok looks up from his phone and smirks. "If we leave now, you can talk to him face to face after all this time. Kihyun has class for the next four hours, so it’s four hours we have to our advantage."

Minhyuk doubts, there is something that doesn’t quite fit. He’s liked him so much for the last few months and he was sure he’d like him no matter how he looked… And now he feels like an asshole because of that, because Hyungwon, while gorgeous and out of this world, is not his type of guy.

But he has been waiting for so long for this moment; it would be foolish not to go, right?

Hyunwoo claps him on the shoulder, hard. When Minhyuk smiles at him, his hyung gives him a reassuring smile. “Just go. I’ll take care of Kihyun and, if he decides to go there early, I’ll call you.”

Sighing, Minhyuk nods. "Come on."

Hoseok rises like a thunderbolt, collecting his things and passing the leftovers of his food to Hyunwoo, who accepts them with enthusiasm. “I wasn’t expecting less from the best leader in the world.” 

Hyunwoo blushes, and it’s not fair to look that cute being as built as he is. “Just being a good friend.”

Minhyuk and Hoseok rise, waving while walking toward the exit of the cafeteria. Minhyuk lets his friend talk his ear off, answering at appropriate times. Hoseok must find it weird, Minhyuk being that subdued, and it doesn’t take long for him to shut up, putting his headphones on and letting Minhyuk think in peace.

There’s something that makes Minhyuk apprehensive of the situation, but can’t find what it is and it’s maddening.

It is not until they are sitting on the train and the scenery begins to change, that something surfaces from the blur of his mind.

_Tourism?_

 

**IV.**

 

Even though Jooheon’s dream has always been music, he doesn’t regret his choice to get a degree in Education to be a teacher. He’s happy with his choice, the subjects are always interesting and teachers give them freedom in the essays and projects, so he can still use his knowledge in music. It’s nice to have the opportunity to mix his two passions: music and kids. He has so many ideas running through his mind he can’t wait to be hired and start working to put them into practice.

Since music is still a big part of his life, it was obvious that he would say yes when one of his classmates asked him if he wanted to be one of the DJs in the festival the university was holding to raise money for different projects.

Half of the students knew of his love for music and a lot of them followed him on different sites, so it was understandable that they would ask him, but that didn’t mean Jooheon wasn’t going to feel anxious about all that. From the moment he said yes to the first day of the festival, Jooheon couldn’t stop working on his compositions, lyrics, mix tapes, his voice and dance skills (with Hyungwon as a reluctant teacher) even when less sleep meant more errors.

He was thankful for his friends, though. Hyungwon was there, nagging him everyday and being the hyung he usually wasn’t. Changkyun never let him forget to eat, bringing him all types of food, even the ones he hated but knew Jooheon liked. Jackson kept him updated with everything that was happening in class, since he was too focused on his computer to pay attention or take notes. Even Gunhee, who didn’t attend to university but had been his best friend since they were four, helped him create awesome rhythms and mixes.

He may have cried more than what was normal for someone his age, but whatever, he loved his friends. 

If only Minhyuk could have been there, next to him, instead of wherever the hell he was. He had told him it was a project for the university, too afraid he could appear if he discovered where the festival was going to take place.

He’s always thinking about him, so it’s not weird that the day of the festival, which coincidentally it’s the day after his terrible mistake, the only thing he has on his mind is Minhyuk.

He spends his morning on autopilot, helping the Music department with whatever they need so he can keep his mind occupied with something that’s not Minhyuk, but the plan doesn’t really work. His hyungs send him from one side of the university to the other, carrying boxes full of cables and electronic devices, hanging posters and signs, ignoring fangirls screaming Hyungwon’s name… his body moving on autopilot while his mind keeps going on and on about his mistake and how he’s been too coward to get online again. 

In the end, the only thing that lights up his day is the DJ station. The Music department has done an amazing job, and the first two DJs have people jumping and laughing and singing, Jooheon can’t wait for his turn. 

He tells exactly that to Changkyun when the two of them get together for a quick lunch before their turn is up. Jooheon has an hour scheduled just before the start of the big festivities; an important slot time because it’s the moment people will start coming to the main stage, waiting for the performances and the singles auction. Jooheon doesn’t understand how the university agreed to that, but he supposes that, when almost all the presidents of all the clubs and sports teams, and heads of half the departments want it done, you don’t have much to say. 

Changkyun himself is going to be there, not in the auction, of course, but helping Hyungwon with the organization of it. While his boyfriend is the one taking care of everything behind the curtains (albeit it’s against his will, he hasn’t stop saying since the moment a hyung from the arts department cornered him asking about his knowledge of the modelling and acting world) Changkyun is going to be entertaining the masses between acts, rapping and moving around the stage like a real rapper. Jooheon has seen him practice in the living room and the kid is good, he’s going to blow their minds.

“…and he was so great, you know? I mean, he’s like my brother and that’s why I may be a little bit subjective, but he has fans and everything, so of course he is great!” 

Changkyun hums, finishing his hamburger before throwing the napkin to a near trashcan. “He’s good.”

“Oh my god, you can say just that!” 

“He’s very good.” 

Jooheon rolls his eyes but knows that’s just how Changkyun is.

His way with words it’s not the best, but when he says that someone is good, it means that that person is _really amazing_. And maybe Gunhee and him didn’t have the best start (with one being the new best friend and the other the ‘ _almost brother’_ , neither of them knew how to take the existence of the other. But after a screaming match that end up in a rap battle, the two of them accepted the existence of the other in Jooheon’s life and moved on, now as more-than-acquaintances-not-quite-friends. Jooheon will take that as a win.) but they respect each other as rappers, even though only one of them has it as a possible future profession.

Jooheon starts again, telling him about the song he’s going to save for the end of his hour, his masterpiece. Well, the masterpiece that Gunhee and him have been working on for at least ten years. He tells Changkyun about his mixed feelings about that, because on one hand it’s their song, and it doesn’t feel right being the only one on the stage. On the other hand, it’s a sang they’ve been nursing like their baby for years, and the opportunity to sing it in front of that many people it’s great.

When he asks his friend for his opinion, though, he doesn’t get an answer. He tries again, and again, but when he turns to look at Changkyun, he doesn’t find him next to him. Instead, the boy is a few steps behind, frozen in the middle of the path.

"Changkyun?"

Jooheon is about to open his mouth to yell at him, but Changkyun’s face makes him close his mouth. While being a year younger than him, Changkyun has always had a more mature and serious air around him, kind of a protective wall built up after years and years of fighting and being treated like shit. It’s something they don’t really talk about, because Jooheon is too soft and always ends up crying and Changkyun hates to remember those awful years, but the past is still there, hanging over them like a dark cloud. Everybody has their demons, and while some people avoid them (like Jooheon himself) and some learn to life with them (like Hyungwon), others, like Changkyun, use them to keep on going, building and adapting themselves around them.

If what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, Changkyun may be immortal.

The only thing that cracks Changkyun strong will is Hyungwon. When the hyung is in the picture Changkyun turns into a bubbling mess, smiling and blushing and being the cute little thing he really is. Jooheon still can’t believe he had the balls to confess, but seeing the results (and Jooheon has seen too much, thank you) he can’t help but feel jealous. Jealous of their intimacy, of the way they don’t need to talk to understand the other, of how Hyungwon knows how to save Changkyun when he’s in that dark place of his mind, of how Changkyun would burn the world to ashes to protect Hyungwoo.

Jooheon is happy, so happy for them, but that ugly feeling is there. If only someone ( _Minhyuk. Minhyuk. Minhyuk. Minhyuk_.) would look at him that way, the way Chankyun looks at Hyungwon, like right in that moment, when all his attention is focused on the tall figure standing against a wall… talking to two suspicious boys (and that is coming from the guy that wears caps even in class or when it’s raining). 

Hyungwon doesn’t look too concerned, standing tall and regal, arms crossed over his chest and a small smile on his lips. Changkyun stands still next to the cords of the speakers, but he doesn’t make any move to approach them. He’s had enough arguments with Hyungwon about how he is capable of defending himself and that not all the people that approaches him wants to take advantage of him. 

Jooheon lets out a sigh, turning towards one of the kids of the music department (a rapper that he’s seen perform in underground circles hundreds of times but couldn’t ever find the courage to talk to because the kid is huge) and signalling at him that he’s going to take a break. The kid nods, sending the message to another kid, shorter and with bright light hair very similar to Jooheon’s, who smiles widely before running towards the DJ station.

And so, Changkyun and him stay there, waiting. Jooheon is mostly there to stop Changkyun in case he decides to interrupt Hyungwon, bulldozer-style, since their hyung doesn’t seem to be in any kind of danger but that, however, doesn’t prevent him to be prepared to run at any time. 

And the moment arrives earlier than expected, when one of the boys, the one that looks like he could snap Hyungwon’s bones with his bare hands, puts his arm over the boy’s shoulders and pulls him towards his chest until their bodies touch.

In all the years they have known each other, Jooheon and Changkyun have never been more attuned than in that moment, when both of them start running instantly.

 

**V.**

  

“I feel like I should be concerned by the fact that you know where to find the right campus and the right area where Hyungwon should be even when this place is this crowded.”

Hoseok scoffs, hands in his pockets and the calm, relaxed step typical of someone who knows perfectly where to go. Minhyuk can’t help but look around him every passing second, looking for Hyungwon and hoping not to cross paths with him at the same time. It's a strange feeling, something that had never happened to him.

He is the kind of person that faces the world head on, even if he has everything to lose, so running away from something, even unconsciously, is a novelty. 

Hoseok sighs, using one of his hands to rub the back of his neck. "It's not the first time I've come. Kihyun is a control freak and he likes to check on Hyungwon from time to time to be sure he’s safe. As a recon mission is less suspicious if it’s more than one person.” 

"You explain it as if you hide behind brushes and walls to spy on him." 

Hoseok blushes and avoids his gaze. "Kihyun defends the idea that people avoid looking at couples kissing, specially when they are two guys." 

Minhyuk smirks, enjoying all the mocking material that Hoseok has given him with a single sentence. "So... it's as much an excuse to come and keep an eye on his friend as it is to make out freely.”

Hoseok blushes and kicks him slightly on the shin. He’s always been a fan of those little kicks that could kill you if someone else delivered them. "Don’t be a prick, I'm on your side! You know the shit I’ll get if Kihyun finds out I brought you here? "

"What, no more ‘ _secret agent’_ kisses?"

Hoseok blushes bright red and starts stuttering, trying to find a suitable answer for that. Minhyuk laughs, loud and free, making people turn to look at them, which makes Hoseok blush even harder. The boy grabs his arm and starts walking fast through the masses of people, dragging Minhyuk around. Minhyuk lets him do it, so he has some time to mentally prepare himself. He wants to meet _HoneyJoo1_ , really, but he can’t ignore the fear that curls around his heart, the ‘ _what if’s_ and the ‘ _buts’_ that his mind can’t stop supplying. 

He doesn’t have much time to think about it, though, because after a few minutes Hoseok stops, almost crashing against someone. When Minhyuk looks at the person in front of them, his heart stops beating.

He’s tall, more than what Minhyuk imagined, and his beauty can’t be described with words. His hair, though tousled and slightly sweaty on the back of his neck, frames his face beautifully; it makes his lips (painted with the softest of pinks) stand out even more. The boy looks at them with exasperation, frowning and clenching his teeth. Minhyuk can’t help but marvel at the sigh of that jawline.

“Sorry, Hyungwon.”

The guy huffs, raising a hand like a celebrity would do in front of a bunch of reporters screaming their questions. “Look, if you are a fan or something, I don’t really–”

“No! No, I’m Hoseok. Kihyun’s… friend.”

Hyungwon closes his mouth, and Minhyuk could spend his life simply looking at those lips. Recognition seems to come at least, because all his body language changes and a small smile appears on his face.

“Oh, yeah. Sorry, it’s been a frantic month an today it’s just…” 

“A nightmare?”

Hyungwon chuckles, a soft and sweet sound that could save lives. “You could say that.” He looks at Minhyuk then, their eyes locking for the first time.

And all those stories about butterflies on stomachs, time stopping, world around people vanishing, birds singing, the explosion of feelings and heat and whatnot? Yeah, total lies.

Hyungwon is amazingly pretty and _HoneyJoo1_ is amazingly perfect, but what he thought he would feel once he could put the two concepts together… it’s not there.

“Hi, you look familiar. Are you Minhyuk?”

Why is his voice so soft? That’s not like _HoneyJoo1_ at all, just from his writing Minhyuk knows he’s loud and expressive, always bright and overly excited. But the reality is so different: the guy in front of him is laid-back, with silvery voice and a calm aura.

Minhyuk opens his mouth to speak, but he has to close it and swallow before trying again. “I… yeah.”

“Cool, nice to meet you. Kihyun always talks about you.”

Minhyuk can only nod. His world is crashing around him, but no one seems to see it, because Hoseok and Hyungwon start talking about the festivities as if Minhyuk wasn’t at the verge of tears.

“Are you here with Kihyun? He’s small, but I don’t see him.”

Hoseok and Minhyuk exchange a worried look. “Well, not really. We’ve come to talk to you.” 

Hyungwon’s eyes shine and a sweet smile starts forming on his face. “Oh my… Yes!” 

“Sorry?”

“Yes, yes! You came for my blessing, right? Kihyun is always telling me what a cheesy prince you are, so I’ve been expecting this for a while now.”

Minhyuk breaks down and starts laughing uncontrollably. On one hand, he’s still hysterical because of all that Hyungwon/ _HoneyJoo1_ thing and on the other hand he can see where Hyungwon is coming from because yes, Hoseok has been thinking about asking him about his relationship with Kihyun for months. He’s that lame. 

Hoseok is frozen on the spot for a few seconds before his face changes and the biggest smile appears on it. His eyes shine with unshed tears and, if he wasn’t trying to be cool in front of Hyungwon, Minhyuk is sure he’d be crying and bawling like a baby right there.

“Thanks! I.. I don’t know what… Thank you!”

He puts his arm over the Hyungwon’s shoulders and pulls him towards his chest until their bodies touch, saying how great he is over and over and over again.

Minhyuk smiles, happy for his friend, and before he can return to his sorrowful feelings and the heartbreak, a guy appears from nowhere and takes Hyungwon’s arm. The new boy shows up between them, carefully positioning the taller boy behind him and glaring at Hoseok with raw wrath. The boy then grabs him by the t-shirt, and even though Hoseok is built like a god, he’s still as harmless as a new born kitty, so he just stands there, too surprised to do anything else but look startled.

“What do you think you’re doing, touching my boyfriend like that?” 

There’s yelling around them, so both Minhyuk and Hoseok are not sure about what they have heard. They exchange a look, and scream at the same time, “Your boyfriend?” 

“Boyfriend!”

Minhyuk turns towards Hyungwon, who is trying to separate the new boy from Hoseok. “You never told me you had a boyfriend!”

Hyungwon raises an eyebrow, surprised. “Why would I?”

“How could you? I thought you trusted me!” Minhyuk screams, high-pitched and outraged, accusingly pointing a finger at him.

“I don’t know you!” 

“We’ve been talking for a year!”

“No we’re not, are you crazy?” 

A hysterical laugh escapes from Minhyuk’s voice, and Hyungwon goes from being offended to being mad. No one pays attention to the other guy, the one with the black and purple cap that stands next to them wrinkling his t-shirt with the nervous movement of his fingers and hands.

“Oh, shit.” 

Minhyuk stops laughing to scream at Hyungwon again. “You knew my name and did like I was just another anonymous person… how could you play with me like this?” 

Hoseok nods, still being held by the so-called-boyfriend. “Yeah, what would Kihyun say? He’s always been saving you from assholes and you’re being one now.” 

“Hey, back off or I’ll kick you, I know martial arts.” Honseok looks at him in disbelieve and Hyungwon sights, exasperated. 

“No, you don’t, shut up.” Hyungwon slaps the boy on the back of his head, and the boy yelps. Hyungwon doesn’t look too worried. “Why are you dragging Kihyun into this? What the hell are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb, it doesn’t suit you!”

“Uh, guys…” Minhyuk looks at the boy, and when he catches his gaze, the boy turns bright red. But before Minhyuk could say something, Hyungwon screams back, loosing his cool.

“For the last time: you don’t know me!” 

“But I do! Or I thought I did…”

He knows he sounds defeated, and he must look awfully sad, because the boy with the cap and the cute face walks towards them and stands in the middle, hands raised.

“Stop!” Even Hyungwon’s boyfriend stops his useless fight with Hoseok’s t-shirt to look at him. The boy breathes a few times before nodding to himself. “It’s my fault.”

“What?”

“I… I’m…” The boy sighs and rubs the back of his head, turning towards Minhyuk before looking at his shoes. “I am the one you think Hyungwon is.”

“…sorry, I got lost. Repeat?”

Hyungwon crossed his arms over his chest. “Yeah, I think I may have an idea, but please, Jooheon, elaborate.” 

“I… I am _HoneyJoo1_.”

 

**VI.**

 

“Ok, I think it’s time for some explanations.”

The whole group is sitting under a tree in one of the big grass areas of the university. The world around them is still engrossed with the festivities and they can hear the music loud and clear even from their place. Jooheon had to give his place to another student, but he doesn’t know if that’s a bad thing, because now he has Minhyuk in front of him and _woah_.

He still needs to explain himself and ask for forgiveness, but he’s there, in the flesh, and he’s everything Jooheon has always wanted. 

Hyungwon sighs, rolling his eyes. He has been holding Changkyun’s hand non-stop, fingers linked and palms touching, placed on his tight. “I don’t know how we’ve came to this situation, but I agree.” Hoseok nods, smiling. Hyungwon looks at Minhyuk then, and the boy blushes. “Frist of all, my name is Chae Hyungwon and no, I’m not the boy you’ve been talking to. And I suppose I don’t need to say that I have a boyfriend.”

Hyungwon looks at Changkyun now, and Jooheon marvels at how Changkyun blushes too, mirroring Minhyuk’s embarrassment. “That would be me.”

“Of course it would be you, I can’t believe I had to stop you from a fight. Again.”

Hyungwon is not done lecturing him, so Jooheon coughs loudly. Their gazes lock and they have on of this silent conversations they usually have just to make Chankyun nervous, but right then they are serious. Jooheon tries to tell him to ‘ _behave, please’_ and _‘I’m sorry’_ as well as ‘ _please help me here’_. Hyungwon seems to want to say that he’s an idiot and that he’s going to pay for it, but in the end the older boy nods, directing his eyes towards Hoseok. 

“I suppose Kihyun doesn’t know anything.”

“Nope.” 

The boy smirks. “Lovely.”

There is a small pause where everyone looks at each other, waiting for someone to start talking. In the end, it’s Jooheon who starts. The boy claps his hands before him, bowing awkwardly from his seated position.

“I’m so sorry, everyone!”

“Ok, Jooheon, could you elaborate?” 

“I was surprised by Min… Minhyuk asking me for a pic.”

“Yeah, sorry about that. I was too impulsive, Hoseok-hyung has a way to make you do things without actually making you do anything.”

“You were mopping around!”

“No I was not.”

“Oh, please, you wanted that pic so much you just needed me to tell you that it was ok to ask him!”

Jooheon clears his throat, turning their attention back to him. “Yeah, well, it was a mistake.”

“But you accepted to send the pic.”

“It’s not that.” Jooheon looks away, blushing. “When you asked for that picture I panicked a little, thinking about how you would react after seeing me, so I wasn’t paying attention when I choose it.” He takes a deep breath. “So I did a mistake and sent Hyungwon’s picture instead of mine, because the two of them were on the same folder.”

“You did what?!” 

“I’m sorry, ok? I didn’t want to do it, it was an honest mistake!” Hyungwon frowns, but nods. Jooheon turns towards Minhyuk, looking at him right into his eyes so he can see that he’s being honest. “Look, I just… I was afraid, so I closed my mouth and tried to forget. I though that, If I did like nothing had happened, maybe things would end up well. I mean, what was the chance of you knowing Hyungwon?”

“Highly probable, since I am a model.”

“But then Minhyuk would think that I did it on purpose and I could play it like a joke or something.” He turns towards Minhyuk, ducking his head. “Sorry.”

Minhyuk looks at him, then looks around, exchanges a few glances with Hoseok and looks at Jooheon again.

And then he laughs.

Because of course this would happen to him. He laughs and laughs, and it’s bright and cheerful, and he can’t help but feel alive. He’s happy, thrilled. He should be mad at Jooheon, or at least disappointed, but he doesn’t feel like that. He can’t. Because this is the boy he fell in love with, he’s that dorky boy that’s always there when he needs to rant about someone or something, when he’s so happy he needs to tell someone, when he’s so sad he just wants to cry himself to sleep.

This boy, Jooheon, is everything Minhyuk though that _HoneyJoo1_ would be, and his mistake feels right. Everything feels right.

So he keeps laughing, linking his fingers with Jooheon’s.

Hyungwon sighs, shaking his head but smiling nonetheless. “Ok, I think this is enough. Changkyun and I are going to go back to the main stage.” He then turns towards Jooheon and Minhyuk, who look at each other with stars in their eyes. “You two are going to talk about… everything, at great length. Alone.” Once everyone nods, he gets up gracefully, pulling his boyfriend with him. Hoseok is about to follow when Hyungwon looks at him with a smirk. “And I suppose we could have dinner all together if you survive.”

A shiver runs through his body like a bad omen. “What do you mean?”

The younger holds up his phone, his smirk growing, and nods looking over Hoseok’s shoulder. “Kihyun has been listening from the beginning and now that he’s here, he looks pretty annoyed.”

Everybody turns around, Hoseok’s face loosing colour. Kihyun is walking slowly, with hands on the pockets of his oversized jacket and his favourite beanie on his head. He looks calm and collected, with a powerful aura despite his sweet looks. When he reaches them Kihyun smiles devilishly, with his arms crossed over his chest, chin up and legs slightly open, ready to kick ass.

 

**\+ VII.**

 

“So.”

Hoseok swallows hard, looking everywhere but at Kihyun. He knows he’s in trouble, Kihyun is going to be mad at him for weeks, talking to him only when strictly necessary and being a asshole, revealing his evil (more like childishly evil) self. While it’s funny to see (and more often than not he’s Kihyun’s sidekick, so he knows what he’s talking about) it’s not so funny to be in the receiving end of it.

After a few seconds, though, Hoseok sighs and looks at him. It’s always better to talk with Kihyun, to face him.

“Yeah?”

“They look happy.”

Kihyun looks away and Hoseok follows his gaze towards where Minhyuk and Jooheon are awkwardly hugging, sitting under a tree and smiling while talking animatedly. It’s going to be hell when they pass the first (weird, awkward, tense) stages of their relationship, because all that cheerfulness, cuteness and prettiness put together in the same room is going to give them cavities.

Hoseok smiles. “Yeah, they are.”

“I am, too.”

“Because it’s not Hyungwon with Minhyuk?”

Kihyun laughs and in an unexpected moment he rests his head on Hoseok’s shoulder while hugging his waist. “I’d be happy for them, too, if he was happy. If _they_ were happy.”

“You tried to kill Minhyuk yesterday!”

Kihyun looks away for a moment, his cheeks painted pink. “Yeah, well… I thought he was playing with Hyungwon.”

“You know he’s not like that.”

“Of course I know! Minhyuk is my friend and I love him. But Hyungwon has suffered enough because of assholes and I just… You know. Acted without thinking.” Hoseok nods and Kihyun continues. “But I’m not talking about that.”

“Then what?”

“You helped him. You helped them. Even Hyungwon grew the balls to finally tell me he’s been with Changkyun for months!” Hoseok looks at him, surprised. Kihyu laughs again. “Oh, yeah, I knew about it. It was kind of obvious. That’s why I was mad at Minhyuk, I though he was trying to make them break up. Changkyun is a nice kid and he’s good for Hyungwon.”

“But I still don’t get it. Why are you happy because of me?”

“Because you went behind my back!”

“What?”

“You always do what I want you to do, like you’re afraid you’re going to lose me if you say no!” He looks right into his eyes with the intensity of the Sun. “I’m not going anywhere, Hoseok, but I’d like it if you took the initiative for once and kissed me, now that you are a rebel and everything.”

Hoseok looks startled for a few seconds before leaning towards him, kissing him softly. 

“You don’t need to tell me twice.”

 

 

**.end**

 

**Author's Note:**

> So, english is not my first (nor second) language and I don’t have a beta this time, so I’m pretty sure you’d find a lot of errors. If you point them out to me, I’ll make sure to edit them!
> 
> And I started this fic in july and forgot about it until september, so there may be some inaccuracies. As I said before, feel free to point them out to me!


End file.
